*c. 29 AD Our Lord's Resurrection. The First Pentecost.
St. Peter preaches in Jerusalem and converts three thousand
people, creating the first Christian community.

30s

*c. 35 Saul of Tarsus has an apparition of Jesus Christ
and is converted to Christianity.

*c. 39 St. Peter baptizes Cornelius. This event marks the
beginning of the missionizing to the Gentiles.

40s

*42 The first persecution of Christians in Jerusalem
under Herod Agrippa. Many Christians escape to Antioch,
establishing its first community.

*44 Martyrdom of St. James the Great, brother of the
Apostle John. He is the first apostle to die for the faith.
He was sentenced by Herod Agrippa in 44 AD. Today he is
honored at the shrine of Santiago Compostela.

50s

*c. 51 The Council of Jerusalem. It rules that Gentile
converts do not have to observe the Moasaic Law.

60s

*62 Martyrdom of St James the Less, Bishop of Jerusalem.
He is stoned to death.

*64 First persecution of the Christians by Nero, who
blames them for setting a fire that burned much of Rome.
Christianity soon after becomes a capital crime.

*66 Jews revolt against Roman authority. The Christians,
remembering the prophecies of Christ, leave Jerusalem, led
by their bishop, St. Simeon. A civil war ensues. Nero sends
Vespasian and Titus to put down the insurrection.

*mid-60's Martyrdom of St. Paul.

*67 Martyrdom of St. Peter. Tradition states that he was
crucified upside down. St. Linus succeeds him as Pope (-76).

*69 Fall of Jerusalem. The Temple is destroyed. Tacitus
records that 600,000 Jews were slaughtered during the siege;
Josephus said it was a million.

70s

*76 Pope St. Cletus (Anacletus) reigns(-88).

80s

*c. 88 The reign of Pope St. Clement I (-97). During his
pontificate, he issues a letter to the Corinthians, urging
them to submit themselves to lawful religious authority. He
writes "Our apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus
Christ, and there would be strife on account of the office
of the episcopate. For this reason, therefore, inasmuch as
they had obtained a perfect fore-knowledge of this, they
appointed those [ministers] already mentioned, and
afterwards gave instructions, that when these should fall
asleep, other approved men should succeed them in their
ministry."

90s

*95 Persecution of Christians in Rome under Domitian.

*97 Pope St. Evaristus accedes to the Chair of Peter
(-105).

100s

*c. 100 Death of John, the last apostle. The period of
Public Revelation comes to an end.

*c. 100 Birth of St. Justin Martyr (d. c. 165), Church
Father. He wrote two Apologies of the Faith, and A
Dialogue with Trypho, the Jew. In his writings, he bears
witness to a number of Catholic doctrines. In one famous
passage, he describes the Order of the Mass.

*c. 105 Death of Pope St. Evaristus. Pope St. Alexander I
replaces him (-115).

*c. 107-117 Martyrdom of St. Ignatius of Antioch,
apostolic Father and bishop. He was a disciple of St. John,
along with St. Polycarp. Theodoret, the Church historian
says he was consecrated bishop by St. Peter, who was at
first bishop of Antioch before going to Rome. Ignatius was
martyred in Rome under Emperor Trajan's rule. It was during
the journey to Rome that he wrote his famous letters that
contain invaluble information about the early Church. He was
the first to use the term "Catholic" to describe the Church.

110s

*111 Pliny the Younger, govenor of Bithynia, writes in a
letter to the Emperor Trajan that to his surprise, the
Christians are not guilty of any of the vices they are
rumoured to engage in. He executes Christians who would not
apostatize.

*c. 115 Pope St. Sixtus I begins his reign (-125).

*117 Persecution of Christians under Hadrian (-138).

120s

*125 Pope St. Telesphorus begins his reign (-136).

130s

*c. 130 Birth of St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Church Father and
bishop. He had heard St. Polycarp in Smyrna. He wrote a
famous treatise, Against Heresies, refuting
Gnosticism, and intervened in favour of the Quartodecimians
when they were excommunicated by Pope Victor I for not
observing Easter according the Roman Calendar (i.e. the
first Sunday after the full moon after the Spring equinox).

*135 Emperor Hadrian excludes Jews from Jerusalem.

*136 Pope St. Hyginus accedes to the see of Peter (-140).

140s

*140 Election of Pope St. Pius I (-155).

*144 Marcion of Pontus is excommunicated for heresy (Marcionism):
he believed that the God of the Old Testament is a different
God than that of the new, and that he is a vengeful God; he
denied the inspiration of the Old Testament. Marcionites
established a parallel church that survived for several
centuries.

150s

*155 Death of Pope St. Pius I. St. Anicetus becomes Pope
(-166).

*c. 156 Martyrdom of St. Polycarp, disciple of St. John
the apostle. First recorded instance of devotion to a martyr
and the devotion to relics in the Martyrdom of Polycarp.

160s

*c. 160 Birth of Tertullian, Church Father. Tertullian
apostatized to the Montanist sect and in his later years
rejected the Catholic Church. However, in his earlier years,
c. 200 AD, he justified Catholic belief against heretics by
appealing to the apostolic origin of the Church, whereas the
heretics and their heresies were subsequent to it.

*165 Death of St. Justin Martry (b. 100), Church Father.

*166 St. Soter becomes Pope. (-175).

170s

*172 Montanus launches his Montanist movement, based on
his private revelations. He claimed that there was an age of
the Father (the Old Testament), the Age of the Son (the New
Testament) and the age of the Holy Spirit, which he would
inaugurate and which would announce the end of the world. It
denied the divine nature of the Church and preached a very
rigorous morality.

*175 St. Eleutherius succeeds as Pope (-189).

*c.176-177 Athenagoras writes Embassy for the
Christians, aka Apology, a work addressed to the
Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus that shows the
reasonableness of the Christian faith and the absurdity of
the charges made against Christians. It also defended the
notion of the Trinity.

*177 St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against All Heresies,
a work of apologetics refuting Gnosticism, which claimed
salvation through an esoteric knowledge. Irenaeus argues
that this belief counters that universal tradition handed
down from the apostles, and that the bishops are the
successors of the apostles who have the authority to
transmit Revelation. To make his point, he lists the
succession of Popes beginning with Peter.

180s

*185 Birth of Origen, controversial Church Father. His
writings were, in many ways, productive for the orthodox
faith. However, a number of his ideas were problematic or
downright heretical. Among them: his excessive allegorism in
Scriptural interpretation, his subordinationist tendencies,
his belief in eternal creation and final salvation of all
souls. His
writings sparked complex doctrinal controversies.
In spite of the problems, he had many admirers among
orthodox Fathers.

*189 Pope Victor I takes over the See of Peter. (-199)

*189 Pope Victor I excommunicates the Quartodecimians.
The Quartodecimians of Asia Minor reckoned the date of
Easter according to the Jewish Passover, as 14 Nisan,
regardless of whether or not it fell on a Sunday, contrary
to the majority of the faithful in various parts of the
Empire. Pope Victor ordered Bishop Polycrates of Ephesus to
call a synod and have the bishops of Proconsular Asia submit
to the Roman practice. The bishop called the synod, but the
assembly refused to submit, citing that the apostles John
and Philip followed the same custom. The Pope then
excommunicated the bishops and their followers. St. Irenaues
protested this action as too harsh, but did not say the Pope
had overstepped his authority. This is the first record of
an episcopal council in the post-apostolic age.

190s

*190 Pope Victor I excommunicates Theodotus for his
denial that Jesus is God. The latter gathered together a
band of followers, whose teachings would eventually
influenced Paul of Samosata, the true originator of Arianism.

*199 Pope St. Zephyrinus accedes to the See of Peter
(-217). Pope Zephyrinus was not inclined to philosophical
speculation and would not either endorse or condemn St.
Hippolytus' attacks against the Monarchian heresy. This made
the Pope's faith appear suspect.

200s

*c. 200 Death of St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Church Father and
bishop.

*c. 200 Monarchianism makes its appearance. In contrast
to Arianism, Monarchians affirm Jesus is God, but in order
to safeguard the unity of God, they essentially deny the
distinction between the Son and the Father. St. Hippolytus
was an ardent opponent of this heresy.

*202 Emperor Septimius Severus persecutes Christians with
the aim of establishing one common religion in the Empire.

*c.208 The first record of prayers for the dead in the
writings of the Church Fathers. Tertullian writes that a
good widow prays for her dead husband's soul in On
Monogamy.

210s

*c.213 Birth of St. Gregory of Neocaesarea, (d. c. 270)
aka the Wonderworker, aka Thaumaturgus. He defended the
Unity and the Trinity of God in his writings.

*217 Death of Pope St. Zephyrinus. Pope St. Callistus I
succeeds him (-222). Callistus was a former slave who was in
charge of his master's bank. He lost a lot of money to bad
debts, some of the debtors being Jews. When he attempted to
recover the money, some Jews denounced him as a Christian
and he was sent to the mines of Sardinia, but survived to
return to Rome in 190 AD. During Pope Zephyrinus' reign, he
was a power behind the throne, making his faith appear
suspect to the future anti-Pope St. Hippolytus.

*217 Election of anti-Pope St. Hippolytus, Church Father,
the first anti-Pope in Church history, and the only one
venerated as a saint. He considered Pope St. Callistus I to
be a Monarchian heretic, and he continued his claim to the
Chair of Peter through to the reign of Pope St. Pontian. He
reconciled with the Church before being martyred in the
mines of Sardinia in 235.

220s

*220 Pope St. Callistus I excommunicates Sabellius, a
priest who taught that the Son of God did not exist before
the Incarnation, and that God exists in three "modes" but
not in three persons, therefore the Son and the Father
suffered at the passion. This heresy, Sabellianism, would
become prevalent in the fourth century.

*222 St. Urban I becomes Pope (-230).

*222 Alexander Severus becomes emperor (-235). He lifted
many harsh laws against the Christians, and essentially gave
them the right to exist as a religion. They now had the
right to own property and assemble for worship. He had a
personal devotion to Jesus Christ, but he honoured him as
one among many gods.

230s

*230 Death of Tertullian, Church Father who later joined
the Montanists, a heretical sect. His
writings are
invaluable for the historical testimony they provide.

*230 St. Pontian succeeds St. Urban I as Pope (-235). In
235, the Emperor Maximian launched a persecution against the
heads of the Church. Pontian was banished to the mines of
Sardinia. In order to make possible the election of a new
Pope, he resigned.

*235 Pope St. Anterus reigns for forty days (-236).

*236 Election of Pope St. Fabian (-250). Eusebius relates
in his history of the Church that when it came time to elect
a new Pope, the assembly put forward several names of
prominent people, but a dove rested on Fabian's head, whom
no one had considered for the office. The assembly took it
as a sign of divine favour and selected him as the new Pope.

240s

250s

*250-251 The Decian Persecution. The Emperor Decius
requires all citizens in every town and village of the
Empire to perform acts of worship to the gods of the State.
People suspected of Christianity are brought before a
commission and required to sacrifice. Refusal meant a long
prison stay and subjection to torture so that the accused
would apostatize. Failing that, they are put to death. Many
Christians apostatize or obtain certificates stating that
they had sacrificed. This systematic persecution produces
numerous martyrs.

*250 Martyrdom of Pope St. Fabian in the Decian
persecution. He was not given the opportunity to apostatize
but was swifty executed for his faith.

*c. 250 The devotion to martyrs, once a more private
practice, becomes widespread after the Decian persection due
to the great numbers of martyrs it produced.

*c. 250 Birth of St. Anthony of Egypt (d. 355) considered
to be the founder of monasticism. Approximately 5000
disciples of both sexes had gathered around him in the
Nitrian desert (Egypt), despite his opposition. We know of
him through a biography of St. Athanasius.

*251 Council of Cartage under St. Cyprian allows those
who lapsed during the persecution to be readmitted after a
period of penance.

*251 Pope St. Cornelius succeeds Pope St. Fabian (-253).

*251 Novatian becomes the second anti-Pope in Church
history (-258). He strongly disagrees with Pope Cornelius'
stance allowing those who apostatized during the Decian
persecution to return to the fold after a suitable penance.
He insisted on permanent excommunication for them. This
period is known as the Novatian Schism. The Novatian church
will continue to exist up to the eighth century, but will be
absorbed by the Catholic Church.

*c. 251 St. Cyprian writes his famous treaty, On the
Unity of the Church. He argues that the Church was
founded on Peter, and that the local bishop was the head of
the local Church. In practice, however, he contradicted
himself by asserting that the Pope could not make him accept
Christians baptized by heretics.

*c. 253 Death of Origen, Church Father. He probably died
from the tortured he suffered under the Decian persecution.

* 253 Election of Pope St. Lucius I (-254).

*254 St. Stephen I is elected Pope (-257). He is the
first Pope known to have invoked Matt. 16:18 as evidence for
the authority of the Chair of Peter.

*256 Pope St. Stephen I upholds the baptisms administered
by heretics.

*257 The Emperor Valerian launches a persecution against
Christians (-259). The clergy is summoned to sacrifice to
the pagan gods. If they refused, the church property they
legally held in the church's name was to be confiscated and
they were to be exiled (a year later, the penalty would be
immediate execution). All faithful Christians who met in
religious assemblies were punishable by death.

*257 St. Sixtus II becomes Pope (-258). He was arrested
very shortly after his election and beheaded for his faith.

*258 Martyrdom of St. Cyprian of Carthage. He defended
the readmission to the Church of those who apostatized
during persecution, but rejected the idea that baptism by
heretics and schismatics is valid. In his writings, he
defended the primacy of Peter as the source of unity in the
Church. He remained the foremost Latin writer until Jerome.
At his execution, his followers placed cloths and
handkerchiefs near his place of execution in order to catch
his blood and thereby have a relic of him.

*259 Peace of Gallenius. Emperor Gallenius succeeds to
the throne, ends the persecution of Christians and legally
recognizes their existence. Church property is restored.
This peace lasts for forty years. Churches are built,
bishops gain social prestige and Christians acquire more
social status. Christians serve the regimes of various
emperors. Christianity still remains a target for hostility.

*259 Pope St. Dionysius begins his pontificate (-268).

260s

*c. 260 Birth of Eusebius of Caesarea, Church Father,
bishop and "Father of Church history." his Church history
is an important source of information about the Early
Church. He also wrote the Life of Constantine.

*261 A period of relative peace begins for the Church
(-303).

*c. 265 Three councils held at this time in Antioch
condemn Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch, for his
heretical teachings on the relationship of God the Father
and God the Son. He maintained that Jesus the man was
distinct from the Logos and became the Son of God through
adoption because of his merits, and that God is only One
Person. His
teachings were a pre-cursor to the Arianist
heresies of the fourth century and beyond.

*269 Pope St. Felix I fills the See of Peter (-274).

270s

*c.270-275 Death of St. Gregory of Neocaesarea (b. c.213)
, aka the Wonderworker, aka Thaumaturgus, Church Father and
bishop.

*c. 272 Crucifixion of Mani by Bahram, king of Persia.
Mani founded the Manichaean religion, which centred on the
battle between the good god and the evil god. He had
travelled widely, going as far as India, and drew from many
philosophies and religions-- including Buddhism. He also
claimed to be the Paraclete. His
religious ideas would
persist throughout the Middle Ages, and were adopted by the
Cathari and the Bogomils.

*272 Emperor Aurelian rules that the bishop of a city is
whomever the bishops of Italy and Rome acknowledge as such.
The ruling deprived the deposed Paul of Samosata, bishop of
Antioch, of all church property--including churches. This
way the secular arm made it possible for Rome to effectively
depose bishops.

*275 Pope St. Eutychian succeeds Pope St. Felix I.(-283).

280s

*283 Pope St. Caius is elected head of the Church (-296).

*285 Partition of the Roman Empire into Eastern and
Western halves. Diocletian rules the Eastern half, Maximian,
the Western.

290s

*293 Diocletian forms the Tetrarchy. In order to improve
the transition of power upon the death of an emperor,
Diocletian created a system of co-rulers. Thus, the Emperors
are Augusti, their heirs apparent are Caesars. Diocletian
chooses Galerius as Caesar; Maximian chooses Constantius I
Chlorus. The Tetrarchy system would eventually fail in its
goal of assuring smooth transitions of power.

*296 Election of Pope St. Marcellinus I (-304).

*c. 297 Birth of St. Athanasius (d. 373), Doctor of the
Church. Archbishop of Alexandria. He was a staunch defender
of the Divinity of Jesus Christ against Arianism, and was
exiled sevral times for his orthodoxy.

300s

*c. 300 Christianity introduced in Armenia.

*Constantine re-unites both halves of the Empire, becomes
sole emperor.

*302 Growing intolerance of Christians leads to the army
and the imperial service being closed to professed
Christians.

*303 Persecution of Christians by Diocletian through a
series of edicts.All people were to worship state gods.
Churches were to be destroyed, Christian books were to be
burned. The first act of the persecution was to burn down
the cathedral at Nicomedia.

*304 Christians faithful to the their religion are now
subject to the death penalty. The government commits
massacres to terrify the faithful.

*304 Death of Pope St. Marcellinus I.

*305 Emperors Diocletian and Maximian resign. Galerius,
viciously anti-Christian, succedes as emperor in the East.
The new emperor in the West, Constantius Chlorus, ceases the
persecution in his domains.

*c. 305 The Council of Elvira, Spain approves the first
canon imposing clerical celibacy.

*306 Constanine becomes the emperor in the West and
continues the policy of toleration towards Christians.

*306 Galerius orders all his subjects to make pagan
sacrifices.

*306 Birth of St. Ephraem the Syrian (d. 373), Doctor of
the Church. Known as the Harp of the Holy Spirit. Author of
the Nisibene Hymns, some of which are Marian.

*308 Election of Pope St. Marcellus I (-309). His
stance
against apostates who demanded immediate re-entry into the
Church raised a commotion and led to the Emperor Maxentius
exiling him. He died soone after leaving Rome.

*309 Reign of Pope St. Eusebius.

310s

*310 Sapor II becomes king of the Persian Empire (-381).
Until the third century, the Church grew in Persia without
persecution. However, with the accession of the Sassinid
Dynasty (227 AD) the Church became suspect and was
eventually persecuted. Under Sapor II, Christians are
subject to a persecution worse than any undertaken by the
Roman Emperors. It was considered the religion of the Roman
Empire, with whom the Persian were constantly at war.

*311 An edict of toleration is emitted in the names of
Galerius, Constantine and Licinius. The emperors come to
realize that persecution produced non-believers in either
the gods of the state or in the Christian God. Emperor
Maximinus of Daza only follows the policy for six months,
then continues the persecution in the East.

*31l Pope St. Militiades begins his reign (-314).

*311 The Beginning of the Donatist Schism. Donatus,
Primate of Numidia, will not recognize the election of
Cecilian as Bishop of Carthage. Cecillian's consecrator is
Felix of Aptonga, a man who had allegedly apostatized under
Maximian's persecution (303-305). To the Donatists, apostasy
and other serious sins destroys a priest's spiritual powers.
The priest's powers are therefore dependent on his personal
holiness. Donatus holds a council which illegally elects a
pretendant to the see. Although he lives in Carthage,
Donatus has no jurisdiction there.

*312 Martyrdom of Lucian of Antioch during the
persecution of Maximinus of Daza. He taught that the Word
(logos) was a creature. He taught Arius, the heresiarch, and
his teaching was at the origin of the Arian heresy. He is
also known for having rejected allegorical interpretations
and was strongly literal in his biblical interpreations. He
reconciled with the Church.

*312 Constantine defeats the Emperor Maxentius at the
battle of the Milvian Bridge. The night before the battle,
Constantine has a vision of a cross in the sky and the words
"In this sign you shall conquer."
After the victory,
Constantine orders that the cross be put on the soldiers'
shields and standards. Once Constantine enters Rome, he
offers the Lateran Palace to the Pope as a residence.

*313 Edict of Milan. Toleration of Christians in the
Western Roman Empire. All people, not only Christians, have
freedom of religion so long as they render honour to "the
divinity."
Emperor Constantine returns Church property. In
the Eastern Empire, Maximinus continues to persecute
Christians until he grants them toleration in a last-ditch
effort to gain their favour and keep alive his struggle
against his enemy Licinius.

*313 Constantine intervenes on the Donatist schism and
recognizes the election of Cecillian of Carthage, the
orthodox candidate. The churches held by Donatists are
handed over to Catholics.

*313 The Lateran palace makes its first appearance in
Catholic history as it is the scence of an appeal of the
Donatists in the matter of Cecillian's election as Bishop of
Carthage. Emperor Constantine chose the bishops to sit on
the tribunal, but the Pope presided over it. It rules in
favour of Cecillian.

*314 St. Sylvester I is elected Pope (-335)

*c.314 Constantine agrees to hear a new appeal by the
Donatists in the case of Cecillian's Episcopal election.
This time the appeal is brought to a secular court. The
Donatists maintained that Felix of Aptonga could not have
validly ordained Cecillian because he had apostatized during
a persecution. The police books of the persecution were
produced, and there was no evidence Felix had ever been
arrested. It was also shown that the Donatists had attempted
to forge the certificate proving his guilt. Constantine
sends this evidence to the Council of Arles, where the
Fathers note that the Donatists are "crazy fanatics, a
danger to Christianity." They rule in favour of Cecillian.

*315 Birth of St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 387), Doctor of
the Church. He fought Arianism in the East.

*315 Birth of St. Hilary of Poitiers (d. 368), Doctor of
the Church.

*316 Constantine hears another appeal of the Donatists in
the matter of the election of Cecillian of Carthage. He
rules in favour of Cecillian. He rules that the churches
held by the Donatists were to be handed over to the
Catholics, and that the Donatists were forbidden to meet.

*c. 318 Beginnings of the Arianist controversy. Arius
taught: that the Father and the Son were not of the same
substance, and therefore the latter was inferior; and that
the Word (Logos) is a creature and that the Holy Spirit is a
creature of the Logos.

320s

*320 St. Pachomius founds the first two monasteries-- on
for each sex in Tabennisi.

*321 The Donatists appeal to Constantine for toleration.
He grants it, in spite of his contempt for the sect.

*323 Licinius, Emperor of the East launches a persecution
against Christians.

*323 Constantine and Licinius do battle at Chrysopolis.
Licinius dies six months later. Constantine has no rival and
is the sole ruler of the Empire. Constantine preserves
freedom of religion but his attitude towards paganism
becomes contemptuous. Paganism and Christianity enjoy equal
status before the law.

*325 The Council of Nicea. Presided by Emperor
Constantine and Hosius of Cordoba. Pope St. Sylvester I
sends papal legates, being too old to make the journery from
Rome. Many of the bishops in attendance had been physically
injured in the persecutions of previous decades. The Council
defines trinitarian belief in God. The Father and God the
Son are declared of the same substance against the teachings
of Arius. Emperor Constantine considers heresy to be a form
of rebellion, and banishes Arian bishops to Illyria.

*325 Building of Church of Natitvity, Bethlehem.

*326 Constantine recognizes the Novatian Church, the
parallel Church established under the Novatian schism in the
preceding century. It would die out a century later in Rome,
but would survive until at least the seventh century in the
East.

*329 Birth of St. Basil the Great (d. 379), Doctor of the
Church and father of Eastern monasticism. He was the first
to draw up a rule of life and he developed the concept of
the novitiate.

*c. 329 Birth of St. Gregory of Nanzianzus (d. 389),
Doctor of the Church, one of the traditional four Greek
Doctors.

330s

*330 Building of first St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It
was torn down in 1506 and re-built.

*330 Birth of St. Gregory Nanzianzus (d. 390), Doctor of
the Church. One of the Cappadocian Fathers.

*331 Seat of the Roman Empire moved to Constantinople
(formerly Byzantium).

*331 Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia, an Arian, schemes to
have a local synod depose the orthodox bishop Eustathius of
Antioch. Constantine recognizes the authority of the synod
and expels Eustathius. His
successor, Paulinus of Tyre dies
a few months later, and, for the first time in history, a
secular ruler interferes in the choice of a bishop.
Constantine recommends the Arian Euphronios, who was
elected.

*335 By this time Eusebius of Nicomedia succeeds in
convincing the emperor of his orthodoxy by proposing at the
Council of Jerusalem an ambiguous formula of faith to which
both Arians and Catholics can adhere.

*336 Reign of Pope St. Mark.

*336 Death of Arius, heresiarch, creator of the Arian
herersy. Right before his death, the Emperor Constantine's
sister, Constantia, requested on her deathbed that Arius be
recalled from his place of banishment and exonerated. The
Emperor paid heed to her request. He ordered the bishop of
Alexandria to give Arius Communion, but the latter died
right before he was to receive. The populace views it a sign
of divine condemnation.

*336 The earliest record of the celebration of Christmas
in Rome. The East kept the Feast of Epiphany, January 6th.

*337 Death of Constantine. He was baptized on his
deathbed by bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia, an ally of Arius.
The Empire is ruled by his three sons, Constantine II,
Constantius II and Constans.

*337 Election of Pope St. Julius I (-352).

*338 Election of St. Julius I (-352).

340s

*c. 340-350 The Arian bishop Ulfilas makes a corrupt
translation of the Bible into the Gothic language and
converts the Goths. From then on, barbarian tribes that
converted to Christianity were Arian, until the conversion
of the Franks in the 6th century.

*340 Birth of St. Ambrose of Milan, one of the four
traditional Latin Doctors of the Church. He baptized St.
Augustine. He fought the Arian heresy in the West and
promoted consecrated virginity.

*341 Death of Eusebius of Nicomedia, bishop of
Constantinople. He schemed to depose Catholic bishops
throughout the empire and replace them with Arians. He made
Arians appear orthodox through ambiguous formulas of faith.

*c. 343 Birth of St. Jerome (d. 420), one of the four
traditional Doctors of the Latin Church. He translated the
Bible from Hebrew and Greek texts into Latin and produced
the first authoritative translation, the Vulgate. At that
time, Latin was still a vernacular language. He also wrote a
treaty against Helvidius, upholding the Virgin Birth.

*347 Birth of St. John Chrysostom (d. 407), Doctor of the
Church and Bishop of Constantinople. He is the foremost
Greek Doctor of the Church, known especially for his
homilies on Scripture. He alienated the court at
Constaninople with his preaching against the vanities of the
rich. The conspiracy of his enemies resulted in his exile.
The Pope and many Western bishops supported him but could
not obtain justice for him.

*347 Emperor Constans ends the toleration of Donatists in
Numidia. The period of Donatist dominance in Africa had been
one of license, including riots and massacres. He exiles the
Donatist bishops and hands their churches to Catholics.

*352 Reign of Pope Liberius (-366), the first Pope who is
not considered a saint. He would not be pressured by
Constantius to condemn St. Athanasius.

*354 Birth of St. Augustine of Hippo (d. 430), Doctor of
the Church. One of the four traditional Doctors of the Latin
Church. One of the greatest theologians in the history of
the Church. Among his most famous works: Confessions, City of God, On the Trinity.

*354 Constantius II ignores his own law and confirms the
rights and privileges of the city of Rome, including their
share of state subsidies.

*c. 355 Constantius II kidnaps Pope Liberius to pressure
him to condemn St. Athanasius, and thereby approve the Arian
creed. The Pope refuses and is banished to Baerea in Thrace.
Constantius attempts to replace Liberius with Felix, but the
laypeople of Rome would not hear of it.

*357 Constantius II is persuaded to allow Pope Liberius
to return to Rome. There is some dispute as to whether his
return was prompted by his signing a semi-Arian formula that
would have satisfied Constantius, or by the Roman faithful,
who drove out Felix, the anti-Pope. Much appears to be
uncertain about this situation.

360s

*c. 360 Scrolls begin to be replaced by books.

*361 Emperor Julian "the Apostate" becomes Roman Emperor
(-363). He was brought up in Arian Christianity in his early
childhood, but was tutored by Pagans in his adolescence.
Upon his accession to the throne, he attempts revive
Paganism, and in his contempt the Christian Faith, he tries
to re-build the Temple in Jerusalem, but fails.

*362 Emperor Julian recalls the exiled Donatist bishops.

*363 Emperor Julian "the Apostate" dies before getting a
chance to launch a systematic persecution against the
Christians, although mobs that riot and kill them go
unpunished.

*363 Jovinian, a Catholic, becomes Emperor. He restores
toleration for all religions.He reigns only for nine months.

*364 Valentinian, a Catholic, now rules the Western
empire (-375). He takes the property of State-run temples,
but instead of handing it over to the Church, as Constantius
II did, he puts the imperial treasury in charge of it.

*364 The Arian Valens becomes Emperor of the Eastern
Empire (-378). He seeks to Arianize his Christian subjects
and makes life difficult for Catholics.

*366 Reign of Pope St. Damasus I (-384). He is most
famous for compelling St. Jerome to undertake a faithful
translation of the Scriptures, the version known as the
Vulgate. St. Damasus condemned Apollinarianism and
Macedonianism. He approved the canons of the Ecumenical
Council of Constantinople (381).

*c. 368 Death of St. Hilary of Poitiers (b. 315), Doctor
of the Church and bishop. He was exiled for his orthodox
faith by the Emperor Constantius, but eventually was able to
return to Poitiers. He attempted to reconcile the
Semi-Arians and the orthodox faithful.

370s

*370 Valens, Emperor of the East, orders the bishops of
his realm to conform to an Arian formula on pain of of
deposition and exile. Many refuse. Their churches are handed
over to Arian appointees. Other dioceses organize
resistance, and in some cases massacres ensue.

*373 Death of St. Athanasius (b. 297), Doctor of the
Church, Bishop of Alexandria.

*373 Death of St. Ephraim of Nisibis, Church Father.
Gratian, Emperor of the Western Empire (-383). He abolishes the
office of Pontifex Maximus, the head of the Pagan religion,
which, by default, was held by the Roman Emperor, even if he
was Christian (although he did not necessarily exercise the
office).
Under the influence of Ambrosius, Gratian prohibited Pagan worship at Rome; refused to wear the insignia of the pontifex maximus as unbefitting a Christian; removed the Altar of Victory from the Senate House at Rome, despite protests of the pagan members of the Senate, and confiscated its revenues; forbade legacies of real property to the Vestals; and abolished other privileges belonging to them and to the pontiffs. Nevertheless he was still deified after his death.
Gratian also published an edict that all their subjects should profess the faith of the bishops of Rome and Alexandria (i.e., the Nicene faith). The move was mainly thrust at the various beliefs that had arisen out of Arianism, but smaller dissident sects, such as the Macedonians, were also prohibited.

*376 Birth of St. Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444), Doctor of
the Church. Opposed Nestorianism.

*377 A synod in Rome condemns the teachings of
Apollinaris of Laodicea. Apollinarism posited that Christ
had a human body and a human sensitive soul, but his
rational mind was taken over by the Logos or the Divine
nature of the Second Person of the Trinity. It was also
condemned at the first Council of Constantinople, 381.

*379 Theodosius, a devout Catholic, becomes the Eastern
Roman Emperor (-395). For the first time in half a century,
the State would favour Catholicism over Arianism. Theodosius
is the first emperor to legislate against heresy. The
churches of heretics are to be confiscated and handed over
to the Catholic Church. Heretical gatherings are forbidden
and heretics cannot make wills or inherit. He also
legislates against apostasy from Christianity to Paganism.

*379 Death of St. Basil the Great (b. 329), Doctor of the
Church.

380s

*c. 381 Emperor Theodosius makes Christianity the de
facto official religion of the Empire by forbidding the
worship of the ancient Gods.

*381 The First Council of Constantinople. Presided by
Pope Damasus and Emperor Theodosius I. It proclaimed the
divinity of the Holy Spirit.

*382 By this time, the pagan priesthood in the Western
Empire no longer enjoys any of its former privileges, and
the State has confiscated temple property, making their
legacies void.

*383 Roman legions begin to leave Britain. British
Christians gradually disconnected from Rome until St.
Augustine of Canterbury re-introduces the faith in 590.

*384 Pope St. Siricius begins his reign (-399).

*c. 385 Priscillian becomes the first heretic ever
sentenced to death under a Christian prince. He was executed
for witchcraft, which was a capital offense, but in reality,
he made enemies because of his Manichaean doctrines. Many in
the Church protest this action. St. Martin of Tours objects
to the interference of a lay court in an ecclesiastical
matter. Pope Siricius denounces Bishop Ithacus of Treves for
being the leader of the campaign against Priscillian.

*c. 386 Death of St. Gregory of Nyssa, Church Father,
brother of St. Basil the Great. Before he became a monk, he
was married. His
wife either died or became a nun.

*c. 386 Death of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and
Doctor of the Church. He is famous for a quotation
demonstrating the antiquity of the practice of Commuion in
the hand: "Do not come with thy palms stretched flat nor
with fingers separated. But making thy left hand a seat for
thy right, and hollowing thy palm, receive the Body of
Christ, responding Amen."

*386 St. Ambrose refuses to hand over a church to the
Arian sect when ordered to do so by the Emperor. In a sermon
he says a famous phrase " The emperor is within the Church,
and not above the Church." He says of the Arians: " it has
been the crime of the Arians, the crime which stamps them as
the worst of all heretics, that "they were willing to
surrender to Caesar the right to rule the Church."
The
Emperor backs down.

*388 Christians attack and burn down a synagogue in
Callinicum at the instigation of the Bishop. St. Ambrose
persuades Emperor Theodosius to not force the local bishop
to pay for its restoration. In a letter to the Emperor, he
makes many arguments, but principal among them is that
re-building the synagogue would amount to being disloyal to
the Faith, and that the law is unfairly applied, seeing as
Jews burned a number of churches during the reign of Julian
the Apostate, and no one was punished. The Emperor ignores
the letter. But when he attends Mass presided by St.
Ambrose, the bishop refuses to offer the sacrifice until the
Emperor revokes his edict.

*c. 389 Death of St. Gregory of Nanzianzus, Doctor of the
Church.

390s

*390 St. Ambrose threatens Theodosius with
excommunication for massacring 7000 people in Thessalonica
as punishment for the murder of an imperial official.
Theodosius does public penance.

*391 Emperor Theodosius closes all pagan temples in his
realm.

*392 Upon the death of Western Emperor Valentinian II,
Theodosius becomes the sole ruler of the whole Roman Empire.
He forbids all pagan household rites and idols, but does not
compel any of his Pagan subjects to become Christian.
Paganism will continue to exist, mainly in the backwaters,
for the next three centuries.

*c. 392 Death of Apollinaris of Laodicea, heresiarch. In
his early years, he was respected for his classical and
Scriptural knowledge, on the same level as St. Athanasius,
St. Basil and St. Jerome. However, he taught that Christ's
reason was taken over by the Logos. Apollnaris did not
reconcile with the Church.

*c. 393 Birth of Theodoret of Cyrus, Church Father,
bishop and historian. He opposed St. Cyril of Alexandria in
the Nestorian controversy, but he eventually submitted to
the Council of Ephesus on the matter.

*397 Death of St. Ambrose of Milan (b. 340), Doctor of
the Church.

*399 Election of Pope St. Anastasius (-401). A man of
great holiness, he was friends with St. Augustine and St.
Jerome. He condemned Origenism.

*397 Death of St. Martin of Tours. He was the first saint
honoured for his asceticism, not for martyrdom, and whose
prayers were invoked in liturgy. He is considered the
founder of monasticism in the West. He was also the first to
attempt to convert the pagan countryside of Gaul.

400s

*401 Reign of Pope Innocent I (-417).

*405 St. Jerome completes his translation of the Old
Testament from the Hebrew.

*405 Emperor Honorius declares Donatists to be heretics
and that they should be rooted out.

*407 Death of St. John Chrysostom (b. 347) Church Doctor
and Bishop of Constantinople. He died from exposure to the
elements during his forced march to Pontus, his place of
exile.

410s

*410 The Sack of Rome by the Visigoths, led by Alaric.
This event is the inspiration for St. Augustine of Hippo's
monumental work, The City of God.

*410 The Donatists are granted toleration by Emperor
Honorius.

*c. 411 Beginning of the Pelagian controversy in Northern
Africa. Pelagius, an unordained monk, denied the theory of
Original Sin, stating that death was a physical necessity,
not a result of Original Sin, and that Adam's fault was
transmitted through bad example. He denied the necessity of
grace to perform good acts, and affirmed it was possible to
lead a life completely free of sin. St. Augustine refuted
these beliefs at length.

*411 286 Catholic Bishops and 279 Donatist Bishops meet
at a conference in Carthage to discuss reunion. It was
presided by an Imperial official. He rules that the
Donatists have to submit to the Catholic Church. An imperial
edict the following January, 412, confirms this decision and
threatens banishment for all who disobey.

*415 After the Jews massacred a group of Chrisitans, St.
Cyril of Alexandria organizes a mob to drive out the Jews
from Alexandria, as the Prefect of the city, Orestes, sided
with the Jews and had condemned a guilty Christian for
disturbing the peace.

*417 Election of Pope St. Zosimus (-418).

*418 Election of Pope St. Boniface I (-422).

*418 The Council of Carthage condemns Pelagianism.
Emperor Honorius banishes all Pelagians from the cities of
Italy. Eighteen bishops, led by Julian of Eclanum, must
leave their sees for refusing to sign an orthodox creed, not
because it was anti-Pelagian, but because it was based on
St. Augustine's ideas.

*419 The Council of Africa produces the first Code of
Canon Law in Church history: the Codex Canonum Ecclesiae
Africanae. It forbade appeals overseas in disciplinary
matters, including to Rome.

420s

*c. 420 The Semi-Pelagian controversy erupts. Many
Pelagians accepted the condemnation of their beliefs at the
Council of Carthage (418). In light of that, a more moderate
form of Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism, arose. It stated that
the act of will preceded the grace of salvation. The main
proponents of this belief were the monks of Marseilles,
including Vincent of Lerins and its main opponents were St.
Augustine and his disciple Prosper of Aquitaine. It was
condemned at the Second Council of Orange, 529.

*422 Pope St. Celestine I begins his pontificate (-432).
During his reign, Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople,
professed the heresy of the two-person nature of Christ,
known as Nestorianism.

*c. 422 A mob of Christians in Alexandria murder Hypatia,
a renowned female pagan philosopher. They tore her to shreds
using sharp roof tiling, then burnt her remains. Damascius
attributes the murder to St. Cyril of Alexandria's envy of
her reputation; he is, however, a Christian-hater. The
Church historian Socrates does not mention any motive on
Cyril's part, but says that it did bring disgrace on the
Church of Alexandria. More about the incident here

*426 The Council of Africa formally requests the Pope
that he not be so ready to hear appeals settled in their
jurisdiction or lift excommunications that they have
imposed. Rome makes no reply.

*427 Nestorius, heresiarch, is appointed Bishop of
Constantinople.

*428 Nestorius campaigns and obtains a new law against
heresy. His
friend, the monk Anastasius, in attempt to
promte Nestorius' theology, preaches that the title "Mother
of God" should only be used with the greatest of care, if at
all. This creates a tumult. Nestorius excommunicates those
who object to this novel theology. They appeal to the
Emperor.

*429 Vandals invade North Africa led by Genseric. They
were Arian and very anti-Catholic. Catholic churches are
burnt, Catholic meetings are prohibited, and Catholic clergy
are exiled and replaced by Arian clergy.

430s

*430 Death of St. Augustine (b. 354), Church Doctor and
bishop.

*431 Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, presided by St. Cyril
of Alexandria in the name of Pope Celestine I. It condemns
Nestorianism, the belief that Christ is two persons and
declared Mary is the Mother of God (theotokos). It also
condemned Pelagianism.

*432 Pope St. Celestine I sends St. Patrick to evangelize
Ireland.

*432 Pope St. Sixtus III begins his pontificate (-440).

*c.434 Death of St. Vincent of Lerins, Church Father and
Abbot, famous for upholding the universal opinion of the
Fathers as the Rule of Faith in disputed matters.

*436 Promulgation of the Theodosian Code, isseud by
Theodosius II. It was a systematic presentation of laws in
existence. Observance of Sunday, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter
and Pentecost enforced.

440s

*440 Election of Pope St. Leo I "The Great" (-461),
Doctor of the Church. He vigourously fought many heresies:
Manichaenism, Priscillianism, Euctychianism, Monophytism and
Nestorianism. He is famous for his encounter with Attilia
the Hun, whom he persuaded not to pillage Rome. He also
obtained a promise from Genseric, leader of the Vandals,
that they would not injure the inhabitants of Rome when they
sacked it in 455.

*444 Death of St. Cyril of Alexandria (b. 376), Doctor of
the Church. He fought the teachings of Nestorius,
proclaiming Christ had two natures in one person, and that
Mary was thereby the God-bearer (Theotokos) the Mother of
God. Unfortunately, he used the phrase " one incarnate
nature of God the Word" to express his orthodox belief. This
phrase led to misunderstandings, to the extent that
Monophysites claimed he was on their side.

*c. 447 Death of Sozomen, Church Father and historian. He
continued the Church history begun by Eusebius in the
previous century.

*449 The "Robber Council" of Ephesus. Eutyches, a monk
from Constantinople, had been condemned by his bishop,
Flavian, for teaching that Christ only had a divine nature.
He made an appeal to the emperor to hold a Council, which
has been dubbed the "Robber Council" of Ephesus. Pope St.
Leo I had written a famous letter for the occasion, the Tome
of Leo, in which he explained the Catholic Faith on the
subject of the two natures of Christ. His
letter is ignored
at the Council. Eutyches' condemnation is made void, while
Flavian is deposed and sentenced to prison for his orthodox
faith.

450s

*451 The ecumenical Council of Chalcedon, presided by the
Emperor Marcian and the legates of Pope St. Leo I. Over five
hundred bishops attend. They approve the Tome of St. Leo as
an orthodox statement of faith. It affirms that there is a
hypostasis in Christ, a union of the Divine and the Human
natures in one person. Bishop Dioscoros of Alexandria is
condemned for having protected Eutyches the heretic. The
Council also denounces the intervention of the Emperor in
religious affairs.

*454 At the death of the exiled Monophysite bishop
Dioscoros of Alexandria, they elect a successor, Timothy,
nicknamed "the Cat" to replace the Catholic bishop who had
already been installed. Imperial troops are sent in to
restore order and Timothy the Cat is exiled along with other
Monophysite bishops.

460s

*461 Beginning of reign of Pope St. Hilarus (-468).

*461 Death of St. Patrick, apostle to the Irish.

*468 St. Simplicius becomes Pope (-483).

470s

*477 Death of Genseric, King of the Vandals and
persecutor of Catholics. His
successor, Hunseric, seeks to
eliminate Catholicism entirely from Northern Africa. He
assembles 466 Catholic bishops and gives them four months to
apostatize to Arianism, or else the traditional imperial
decrees against heresy would be applied to them. Many trades
are closed off to the common people unless they can produce
a certificate of Arian conformity.

480s

*480 Birth of St. Benedict of Nursia (d. 543), founder of
Western monasticism and originator of the Benedictine Rule.

*483 St. Felix III is elected Pope (-492).

*484 Beginning of Acacian Schism. Pope Felix III
excommunicates Patriarch Acacia of Constantinople for
signing the Henoticon, a vague document, which contained no
heretical statement, but did not condemn Monophytism. It was
intended by the Emperor Zeno to be a compromise formula of
faith to please both Catholics and Monophysites.

490s

*491 The Armenian Church secedes from the Church of Rome
and Constantinople.

*492-496 Pope Gelasius I. He was also a staunch defender
of the papal office during the Acacian Schism.

*494 Some persecuted bishops of North Africa are recalled
from exile.

*496 Pope Anastasius II begins his reign (-498).

*496 Clovis, king of the Franks, converts to Catholicism.
When his troops appear to be losing against the Alemanni at
Strasbourg, he invokes the God of his Catholic wife Clotilda
to give him victory. He is baptized by St. Remi, and brings
the Franks to the Catholic fold, the first barbarian people
to adopt Catholicism.

*498 Election of Pope St. Symmachus (-514).

*499 The Synod of Rome issues decree on papal elections.
It banned discussions on the election of a future Pope
during a reigning Pope's lifetime. It was an attempt to
conspire to make an election truly democratic, and not make
the reigning Pope choose his successor.

Editorial note on the Timeline

The primary
purpose of the Timeline is to be a quick reference to important dates
for Catholic apologists. It also gives a general overview of the history
of the Church to the Catholic who might like an idea of what occurred in
the past, but has little inclination to read in-depth. The Timeline
contains dates concerned with secular history that are pertinent to the
Catholic apologist, as well as quirky Catholic history bits for the
trivia buff.
I've attempted to include as many important events as
possible, both good and bad, and to include facts commonly raised in
Catholic apologetic discussions. In some cases, I have attempted to
debunk common myths. It would be beyond the scope of this work to count
every historical objection and accusation made regarding Catholicism.

Sources

Bernard Grun, Timetables of History

The online Catholic Encyclopedia-- numerous articles.

Oxford Dictionary of Saints

Our Sunday Visitor Online Almanac

Philip Hughes, A History of the Church to the Eve of the
Reformation

J.M. Roberts, The Penguin History of the World

Lord Jesus, let Your prayer of unity for Christians
become a reality, in Your way.
We have absolute confidence
that you can bring your people together,
we give you absolute permission to move.
Amen